Rear gang for tractor cultivators



July 21, 1953 A. v. RAUGHT REAR GANG FOR TRACTOR CULTIVATORS 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 28, 1946 vmro l I a? To RNEYE.

Patented July 21, 1953 Arthur V. Raught, Rockford, Ill., assignor to J.I.

Case Company, Racine, Wis., a corporationof Wisconsin ApplicationFebruary 28, 1946, Serial No. 6501793 ing implements at or adjacent thefront thereof for working the soil in proximity to the growing crop. Thetractor wheels, however, tend to pack the soil to some extent andaccordingly such tractors commonly carry other soil work ing tools atthe rear which normally register I with the wheel tracks so as to loosenthe soil and eliminate the effect of the packing thereof. A furtherobject of the invention is to improve the latter soil working tools atthe rear of the tractor.

A further object is to provide a plurality of such tools arrangedsubstantially in a line transverse to the direction of travel andwhichhave substantially equal freedom for floating to follow surfaces ofirregular contour.

Many tractors provide ample opportunity for attachment of such toolsnear the sides thereof with long swinging draw bars so that freefloating is easily provided. However, at thecenter of the tractorcertain structure commonly projects toward the rear a substantialdistance and interferes with the location of such a long draw bar.Accordingly, the principle object of the invention is to provide formounting such tools so that the center tool will have equal opportunityto float with the outer tools.

Another object is to provide such a structure which can be very quicklymounted and dismounted and other objects will become apparent from thefollowing specification and accompanying drawings in which asatisfactory embodiment of the invention isshown. However, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosedbut includes all such variations and modifications as fall within thespirit of the invention as herein-expressed.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a plan view of so much of a tractor as is necessary toillustrate the invention and with the soil working tools attached.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 with partsremoved.

.Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 1. I

Similar reference characters have been ap- 1 Claim. (Cl. 9746.43)

2 plied to the same parts throughout the drawings and. specification.

As seen in Fig. 1, the tractor has a body portion B, axle portions A andA, wheels W and W and a rearwardly projecting platform or drawbarstructure P. It will, of course, be understood that the tractor has anengine, front wheel W Fig. 2, steering gear and numerous other parts allwell-known and forming no part of the present invention and which areaccordingly not illustrated.

Wheels W, W and W pack the soil to some extent upon passage of thetractor and in order to loosen this slightly packed soil and avoid theaffect thereof, cultivator shovels or other soil working tools 5 and *6are disposed in the rear of wheels W and W and a substantially similartool 1 is disposed in the rear of wheel W tools 5, -6 and 1 beingpreierablysubstantially in line transversely with the tractor. The exactform of tools 5, 6 and 1 will vary according to soil conditions and forother reasons and the invention is not limited toany particular typeCOH- up and down pivotal movement while preventing any substantialsidewise movement.

Tool 1, as will be apparent from Figs. 1 and 3, is disposed directlybehind platform P and in order to provide free floating, a parallelmotion linkage generally designated as I2 is interposedbetween tool 1and platform P. Y Suitable mechanism is provided for lifting the toolsas follows. The tractor is provided with a power take-off shaft [3 ofwell-known form which actuates a cyclic power lift clutch |4 having acrank l5 arranged to rotate one-half turn and stop upon each actuationof the powerlift in a manner too well-known to require furtherdescription. Crank [5 actuates through a hitman Hi, a lever ill on arockable bail I8. Bail [8 has rearwardly extending armsv l9 and 20 andis journaled'in bearings 2| and 22 carried on 'platformP. I Arms [9 and20 have pivoted thereto upwardly extending lift rods 23' and 24 whichact, upon upward swinging of arms l9 and 20, to lift a connectingelement or arch 25,

of the parts shown, press downwardly on ears 26 and 21 to exert a gentledownward pressure on tools and 6 as will appear.

Arch 25 preferably comprises a central outer section 32 carrying abovementioned ears 26 and 21 and in which are slidably disposed outersections 33 and 34 preferably bending downwardly and pivotally connectedat 35 and 36 with brackets 3'1 and 36 clamped respectively on draw bars8 and 9. Arch therefore when lifted also raises draw bars 8 and 9 andaccordingly tools 5 and 6. Pivotal connections and 36, however, providefor independent up and down movement of draw bars 8 and 9.

Arch 25 also effectively braces draw bars 8 and 9 against sidewarddeflection caused by ground reactions or other forces. Portions 33 and34 are maintained in position in the present instance by set screws 3939and 4i!46. By loosening screws 39 and 46, arch 25 may therefore beadjusted so as to properly fit the spacing of tools 5 and 6. It is to benoted, however, that such adjustment of spacing does not require anyadjustment whatever of the power lift bail l8 or power lift parts inorder to accommodate adjustments of pivots l0 and H.

Returning to a more detailed description of pivots l9 and II, pivot I!being substantially identical with pivot I0, it will not be necessary todescribe both. Draw bar 9 has a brace 4| extending laterally therefrom,the draw bar and brace being apertured for the reception of a pivotshaft 42 by means of which draw bar 9 is supported and propelled. Shaft42 is carried in clamping bracket members 43 and 44 spaced on axleportion A to which shaft 42 may be readily and rigidly attached. As seenin Fig. 3, bracket member 44 comprises upper and lower clamping sections45 and 46 having outturned ears 4'! and 48 urged toward each other bymeans of'a clamping bolt 49. Portion 46 has a rearwardly extendingupwardly open socket portion 50 in which shaft 42 may be received. Atongue 5| freely pivoted on a bolt 52 extends above socket 50 andcarries a set screw 53 preferably of a type which may be turned by handinto engagement with shaft 42 to rigidly maintain the latter in socket50. With screw 53 retracted, tongue 5| may be swung to one side of shaft42 so that the shaft may readily be lifted out of socket 56. In thismanner, draw bar 9 and its attached parts may be quickly removed fromaxle portion A.

Any suitable expedient may be used to unite portions 45 and 46 in theregion of bolt 52, in the present instance a bushing 54, Fig. 4, on bolt52 communicating clamping pressure to an ear 55 on section 45 whilesupporting bolt 52 against exerting clamping pressure on tongue 5|. Awasher 55 may be interposed between sections 45 and 46 for adjustingor'other purposes, if desired.

Clamping bracket 43 being preferably identical with bracket 44 need notbe further described.

Collars 56 and 51 on shaft 42 prevent displacement of draw bar 9 alongshaft 42.

Tool 1 beingspaced only a short distance rea'rwardly extending shank 58pivoted at 59 to a link 7 thing is true of draw bar 8.

60 preferably bifurcated and pivoted at 6| to a brace 62 extendingsubstantially parallel to shank 58. Brace 62 has a foot portion 63fastened as by bolts 64 to a quadrant portion 65 of platform P. At itsupper extremity, brace 62 bends forwardly into contact with the housing66 of above mentioned power lift 14. At a point spaced downwardly alongshank 58, from pivot 59, a pivot 61 connects shank 56 with a link 66preferably bifurcated and pivoted at 69 to brace 62. Links 66 and 68 maybe substantially parallel but it is contemplated that the lengths andangles thereof and of shanks 58 and 62 may be so proportioned as toobtain any desired condition of up and down travel of tool 1. In thismanner, a floating action of tool 1 may be obtained which issubstantially similar to the floating action of tools 5 and 6 in spiteof the comparatively short distance from shank 53 to platform P.

Arch member 25 has a bracket 16 extending upwardly and rearwardlytherefrom and through which is slidably arranged a lifting rod II. Acollar 12 on rod H is spaced above bracket it so as to be contacted uponsubstantial upward movement of arch 25. The remaining movement thenraises rod H which, being pivoted at 13 to above mentioned link 68actuates the latter to lift shank 56 and tool]. A spring 14 compressedbetween bracket l6 and a collar l5 on rod H exerts a gentle downwardpressure on the rod and. link 68 to yieldingly maintain tool 1 in theground, it being understood that the resistance to penetration of theground by tool I will prevent dropping of the shank 56 and connectedparts including the collar 12 below the position shown.

The operation of the arrangement is thought to be clear from theforegoing, it being apparent that tools 5,. 6 and l are carried inregistration withthe three wheels of the tractor and are free to riseand fall and follow the inequalities in the ground. The spacing of tools.5 and 6 is accurately maintained by arch 25, the length of which may beadjusted by loosening set screws 39 and It will be apparent that drawbars 8 and 9 may be shifted on their respective pivot shafts if thetread of wheels W and W is changed. Collars 56 and 5'! may be relocatedto maintain draw bar 9 in other desired positions. The same 7 Tool '5has a free floating movement due to parallel motion 12 in spite of therelatively close spacing to platform P. The several tools are liftedthrough the agency of arch 25 upon actuation of power lift l4.

The above being a complete description of an illustrative embodiment ofthe invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured byLetters Patent of the United States is:

In a ground working implement for mounting on a tractor having a centralrearwardly projecting encumbrance including a platform,the combinationof outer and intermediate tools arranged in a series across the width ofthe rear of the tractor, the outer tools being swingable in the path ofan arc from pivot points forwardly of therearwardly projectingencumbrance, an arch member pivotally connecting said outer tools tomaintain predetermined spacing thereof while providing free floating ofsaid outer tools, power lift means on the tractor, a connection from thepower lift means to said arch for lifting the same and through it saidouter tools, an upstanding brace on said platform, upper and lowersubstantially parallel links extending rearwardly from said brace, anupright shank connecting the rear extremeties of said links and carryingat its lower end said intermediate tool, a lifting connection from saidarch to said intermediate tool comprising a lifting element connected toone of said links at a point displaced from said shank toward said braceso as to lift said intermediate tool through a substantially greaterdistance than the movement of said arch, said element providing lostmotion for free floating movement of said intermediate tool, said lostmotion being of sufficient extent to cause delay in lifting saidintermediate tool as related to said outer tools and lifting of saidintermediate tool, upon actuation of said power lift, a total amountsubstantially equal to that of said outer tools.

ARTHUR V. RAUGHT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

